Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.

The zazen I speak of is not meditation practice. It is simply the dharma gate of joyful ease.

The art of living... is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive.

The perfect moment is this one, not the one you're waiting for.

The practice is simply this: keep coming back to your breath during the day. This will give your mind a steadiness and your life a balance.

The secret of happiness is to want what you already have.

Not by hatred is hatred conquered, but by love alone. This is an eternal law.

To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.

Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself.

Not knowing how near the truth is, we seek it far away.

The nature of mind is not something we need to achieve - it's something we need to recognize.

If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace. If you let go completely, you will have complete peace.

All that appears and exists, all of samsara and nirvana, has one ground, two paths, and two results. This is the magical display of awareness and unawareness.

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything.

The past is for learning from, not for living in.

The purpose of our lives is to be happy.

Problems that remain persistently insoluble should always be suspected as questions asked in the wrong way.

Faith is the firm foundation, diligence the supporting pillar, and wisdom the roof of the house of practice.

When things fall apart and we're on the verge of we know not what, the test of each of us is to stay on that brink and not concretize.

The three characteristics - impermanence, suffering, and non-self - are not philosophical concepts but aspects of experience to be directly observed.

If you forget yourself, you become the universe.

Each moment of mindfulness is a moment of purification.

The teaching of the Buddha is based on two truths: conventional truth and ultimate truth. Without understanding the relationship between these two, the deeper meaning of the Buddha's teaching cannot be understood.

Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

Just as true humor is laughter at oneself, true humanity is knowledge of oneself.

The archer ceases to be conscious of himself as the one who is engaged in hitting the bull's-eye which confronts him. This state of unconsciousness is realized only when, completely empty and rid of the self, he becomes one with the perfecting of his technical skill.

Mindfulness is the key to transformation. It enables us to see our experience as it really is, free from distortion and bias.

The basic teaching of Buddhism is the teaching of transiency, or change.

The practice of ethics is not about following rules but about developing inner purity and freedom.

The object of meditation and the mind which knows it must be noted as they occur. If they are not noted, desire arises and disturbs concentration.

When you love someone, you have to have trust and confidence. Love without trust is not yet love.

To be in harmony with the wholeness of things is not to have anxiety over imperfection.